Singer Swarnalatha passes away at 37

South Indian playback singer Swarnalatha passed away due to lung infection on September 12, 2010, in Chennai. She breathed her last at 11.20 am on Sunday at a private hospital.

The 37-year-old singer was born in Palakkad, Kerala, to K. C. Cherukutty and Kalyani. Music was in her blood as her father was also a noted harmonium player. She learnt her initial musical lessons from her father and later she learnt Carnatic music.

She gained popularity in the late 1980s through the film Neethikku Dhandanai with the song 'Chinnanchirukiliye Kannamma'. Legendary music director M.S.Viswanathan introduced her with this film. She won numerous awards in her career, including two Tamil Nadu state awards for the song 'Povomma Oorkolam' from Chinna Thambi and 'Porale Ponnuthayi' from Karuththamma.

She had sung in all the South Indian languages as well as Hindi films. AR Rahman's 'Hai Rama Yeh Kya Hua' from the movie Rangeela was one of her notable songs in Hindi.

We at Oneindia express our deepest condolences to her family and friends.